BOE Members In It For The Dough
Del.icio.usWhere to start with what’s wrong with our public schools? How about a Board of Education where at least two members show up at their twice-monthly board meetings so they’ll be reported in the minutes as present - and thus collect their $100 stipend - and then often leave shortly thereafter. Or so one disgusted BOE member tells me. What a lousy way to make a hundred bucks ...
And why have less than half of public schools applied to convert teacher prep days to teaching days? Are there that many principals who are not paying attention? ...
Otherwise, sorry to hear radio legend Ron Jacob’s Kaneohe hillside home caught fire the other day. Started at a neighbor’s house and jumped to Ron’s place. Fortunately, his studio and extensive record collection were saved as firefighters got there just in time to extinguish the blaze before it could spread ...
Ran across a great quote from the late Rev. Paul Osumi, whose “Today’s Thought” was a popular newspaper feature for many years. Does this sound like anyone you know? And might it help explain our cultural mania for nonstop cell-phone talking, texting and tweeting, as well as playing video games and watching movies on small hand-held devices to fill every waking moment?
“Many people try to run away from their inner loneliness. They do not know how to be alone. They do anything to escape being alone. They are always on the go; they are always doing something. To live meaningfully, we must master one of the fine arts of life - learning how to be alone without being lonely.” ...
Just wondering: Why is it traditional to bestow the honorific “The Honorable” before a politician’s name - as in the Honorable Sen. Quid Pro Quo - when so many of them are clearly not very honorable? ...
My take on UH football head millionaire, er, coach Greg McMackin: The Warriors of 2009 have suffered too many injuries to too many key players, putting too many young men on the field who were a year or two away from being skilled enough to play significant minutes. It doesn’t matter how well they’re coached or how hard they try if the skill, knowledge and physical abilities are not there. Apart from the state being in no position to buy out McMackin’s contract, the guy deserves at least one more year. And those kids who are taking their lumps this year will hopefully come back in 2010 smarter, stronger and more skilled - and with big chips on their shoulders ...
Couple of significant anniversaries in my life recently: Oct. 29 marked 30 years since my first byline appeared in a Hawaii newspaper, and Nov. 7 marked 15 years since I became the editor of MidWeek. Time flies when you’re working with great people and editing Hawaii’s best-read paper. And, yes, I did celebrate the 11/7 date with a chilled beverage ...
And thank you to the United Filipino Council, which recently honored me with its annual Ating Kaibigan (Our Friend) Award - presented to a non-Filipino who has shown support for the Filipino Community in Hawaii. I’m grateful for the honor, and all the friendships ...
Recently finished former Gov. Ben Cayetano’s book Ben - a surprisingly good read - and it reminded me why I enjoyed interviewing him over the years. You might not agree with Ben, but he’s going to give you the straight scoop, no holds barred. And unlike many pols, he truly cared about “the little guy.” ...
Heck, you could even call him “The Honorable” and I wouldn’t argue ...
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